If you are not familiar with the world of flatbreads, a blintz is a thin, rolled pancake filled with either cheese or fruit and then fried or baked. Not to be confused with pancakes, which are thick and fluffy, or crepes, which are not necessarily filled and are larger, blintzes are wonderful for breakfast or afternoon tea. Read this post on how to make blintzes.
The decadence of a tender, slightly sweet blintz seems to imply that it is a complicated dish, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! The first time I made these, I couldn’t believe how tasty they were and how easy it was to pull together. If you’ve tried making kefir cream cheese, this is a great first recipe to experiment with it!
Though both the whole wheat and the kefir cheese make this a departure from the traditional blintz, I find the tart, lemony flavor of the kefir pairs perfectly with the buttery crepes. Take twenty minutes and whip up a batch of these to make a gorgeous brunch that will be sure to please!
How to Make Blintzes with Kefir Cream Cheese
Yields about 5-6 blintzes.
Ingredients:
Crepes:
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbs oil or melted butter
- 1 Tbs sugar
- Dash salt
- Dash vanilla
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 T of Butter for browning
Cheese filling:
- 1 cup Kefir Cream Cheese
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 2 Tbs Honey
- Sauce or topping of your choice.
Directions:
- First, prepare the crepe batter. Combine all ingredients and either whisk by hand or blend in a blender until very smooth. Allow to sit for ten minutes. The consistency should be that of a melted milkshake—if it seems too thick, add a tablespoon of milk at a time until it seems right.
- Heat oil or butter in a pan on medium heat. Ladle enough batter into the pan to just coat the bottom, and cook until the top no longer looks wet. Flip, and allow the other side to cook for 10-15 seconds. Stack on a plate and set aside.
- Next, mix filling ingredients. My recipe makes a slightly sweet filling, so if you want a more dessert-like blintz, adjust the amount of honey accordingly.
- Next, heap a generous spoonful of filling into the center of a crepe. Working carefully, because these things are delicate, fold two opposite ends in, and then roll from the third end like a burrito. Try to end with the seam on the bottom—this will make them a lot easier to handle in the end.
- Once all your crepes are stuffed, heat butter in the pan on medium heat until it is just melted. Gently lay the blintzes into the butter, and allow them to brown. Try not to handle them too much—if the crepes break, then the cheese will burst out and spatter, and no one likes that. Flip and toast the other side until it is also nicely browned.
- Place on a plate, and dress up the way you would like. You could get as simple as a drizzle of honey or really go for broke with fresh fruit, powdered sugar, whipped cream, and a sprig of mint. My favorite way to serve these is as pictured—with a simple topping made of fresh fruit simmered with a tiny bit of sugar until they break down into a lovely sauce. I used cranberries and pineapple here!
For another great topping, try Probiotic Fig Butter.
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Andrew and Michelle are the new owners of a 12-acre homestead in rural America. They are just embarking on this journey that is far removed from their city-life upbringing, so they realize that they have a lot to learn in order to succeed in this new place. Come along with them and read more about what they learn as they make this transition at their blog Simple Life Homestead.